Page 22 of Avoiding the Merry Viscount
“Perhaps she would enjoy your company, Durham,” Elias said, hoping that if Lord Duncan didn’t sway her, perhaps Durham would be another option to keep her entertained. She could sneak out of the party just as easily as they all had.
“I’ll take that under advisement,” Durham said, motioning to another barmaid to bring him an ale.
“Our sisters,” Elias said, motioning between himself and Hudson, “and Miss Stone and Miss Cary are the only other ladies present, aside from a couple of married mamas.”
Elias thought he saw a reaction on the man’s face, but it was gone as quickly as he saw it, if so.
“Well, I hope you gents won’t be too bored from all the parlor games and holiday activities. Downe and I will find us a couple of doxies to enjoy. Happy Christmas to us.”
Elias hoped he never sounded like that or said anything of the sort. Although, if he were honest, he probably had. Perhaps not at Christmas,since he was always with his family, but other times for certain. Hell and damnation. His father’s words wouldn’t escape his mind, and he wasn’t certain he’d be able to enjoy the rakish life he had led for so long.
Moving on from such a life didn’t irritate him as much as he might have thought, but the uncertainty about what that would mean for his future and what he wanted for his life most assuredly did.
The barmaid returned and set down several tankards on the table. As soon as her hands were free, Durham cupped her arse and pulled her against him, seating her on his lap. “Are you going to climb on top of my cock tonight and show me what you can do?”
She hesitated and looked like she would remove herself from his lap, but he grabbed the back of her head. “Don’t be shy in front of my friends here. Perhaps they might want to watch.”
Fear marred her expression, and tears welled in her eyes. “Release her now, Durham,” Elias ground out.
Durham sneered at him, but did as Elias had commanded. Elias motioned to Hudson that it was time to go. Matt and Jude followed suit, bidding Durham a curt farewell.
In an attempt to be polite and hope that Durham wouldn’t take out any anger on the poor barmaid after they left, they pretended they might see each other at the tavern again another night. But Elias had no intention of ever associating with Durham.
Besides, even if they wanted to get out again, Diana was likely to keep them exhausted the closer they got to Christmas.
When they returned to his family estate, the men attempted to enter as quietly as they could so as not to wake the rest of the house. Jude, Hudson, and Matt all moved toward the staircase.
Elias hung back, not quite ready to go to his chamber, but also not really wanting one of his friends to join him. He’d only had a couple of tankards of ale, so he had all of his wits, but his defenses were down, and he continued to question everything he believed he wanted for himself.
He trudged to the library, hoping the fire was still lit and he might lie across the settee and lose himself in his thoughts.
When he approached, the library door was open, so he closed it behind himself, releasing an audible sigh. The fire was low and emitted little light, but the moon brightened the area around the windows where it had begun to snow.
Elias dropped himself onto the settee and massaged his temples. Suddenly, a shadow moved in the room.
“Who is there?” Elias asked.
For a moment, he suspected his eyes were playing tricks on him, but when he settled back down, something bumped into one of the tables.
“Show yourself,” he called more sternly.
A feminine figure stepped forward from the shadows, and he knew who it was as soon as she stepped into the lit area from the moon.
Elias rose to his feet. “Miss Cary,” he said, his voice more like a whisper.
“I-I couldn’t sleep,” she stammered. “I thought to find a book.”
“Is your chamber not comfortable?” he asked, hoping she couldn’t see that he eyed her form from head to toe. He couldn’t fully see her but could see enough that she donned a dressing robe, which he did his best not to imagine what might lie beneath. Her bare toes poked out from under the garment, and his cock had a mind of its own, testing the integrity of the three buttons on each side, holding him at bay. His eyes continued wandering slowly back up her body.
She took a single step closer, and his entire body tingled from the awareness. “It’s not that,” she said with a sigh. Her hair was in a loose plait over her shoulder, and the urge to untie the ribbon and loosen her dark tresses almost took over.
“Then what is it?” he asked, his heart racing. He would do whatever he must to ease her mind and help her sleep. The realization only made his heart race faster and his breaths shorter.
“I…well…” she started, then shifted on her feet. Before he knew what was happening, she had closed the distance between them and had wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his lips against hers.
He growled and placed his hands on her lower back, deepening the kiss. Part of him wasn’t certain if he was actually dreaming. Perhaps he had fallen asleep watching the snow, and she appeared to him in his dream like an angel. If so, he wasn’t ready to awaken.
Elias shifted one hand to her bottom, pulling her to her tiptoes and pressed her against the telling bulge he sported. She mewled into their kiss, pressing her tongue harder against his, and running her hand into his hair.
